Team Members

Team Mentor

Sara Laughlin:

Hi everybody. I'm so pleased to join this group. I'm an independent consultant based in Bloomington, Indiana. I started my career as a branch assistant at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Since then I've worked as Director of Admissions at the IU School of Library & Information Science, in the IU Archives, as a regional consortium director, and as director of planning and advancement for a statewide consortium, and have served as a trustee and adjunct professor at the library school here and in Indianapolis. My consulting emphasizes customer-focused, future-oriented planning and evaluation. The best thing I've been involved with in my entire professional career is the continuous process improvement work that I began about five years ago. Helping teams work on library processes leverages a change in culture and dramatic improvements across the entire library.

I picked this project because I love evaluation. I'm looking forward to helping however I can.

Staff Liaison

Project Sponsor

Project Questions for Charles & Sara

1. What do you mean by "young"?
- years out of library school? age? both?

Answer: Both young in age and/or new to the profession but we may want to choose one of these groups (or where they overlap).

2. What do you mean by "ALA Annual Conference as experienced by two groups"?
- the whole "experience" of ALA?
- experience of attending ALCTS events?

Answer: The thought was that as a division member, someone new might feel more at home or comfortable going to events such as orientations, receptions and social things. On the other hand, a nondivision attendee may feel lost, out of place, or at a distance from whatÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs going on.

3. Would there be a budget for this?
- If so, how much (or does that depend on our proposal)?

Answer: As of now, there is no budget in ALCTS for this, but include budget in proposal.

4. In regards to what you want in June, do you want something ready to run with or several ideas to possibly choose from?
- assessment methods/our ideas or actual assessment instruments done and ready to be tweaked by ALCTS?

Answer: We should put together a plan with justification/intent and measurable outcomes.

5. We would like to get ALCTS demographics. Can we get these from you or elsewhere?
- How many ALCTS members come to ALA?
- Age/years in the profession demographics

Answer: ALA has little demographics about its members and does not ask age. We may want to ask Christine Taylor, ALCTS staff member. SheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs done a report for a committee, so she may have member data. Come up with lists of data we need and Charles will see what he can find.

6. Are you interested in seeing a comparison with the experience of attendees at other conferences?

Answer: Make it transferable in other settings, but donÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt worry too hard about this.

ALA Contacts

(A section for updates regarding contacts with ALA other than the Mentor and Staff Liaison.)

Rebecca: I went to the board meeting for the Office of Research and Statistics and spoke to the Director. She would be happy to give us any background statistics we need. We can also ask her questions about the type of surveying they do, hints on that, etc. I'll be responsible for maintaining this contact.

Keri: I contacted Christine Taylor about her involvement with the division membership liaisons and John Chrastka, and I forwarded their recent survey results to the group. I also contacted Betsy Simpson, Chair of the ALCTS Leadership and Development Committee. She put the question out to the committee to see what they would like to know about new members, but I haven't heard any more from them

Progress thus far

Meeting on March 5

Project V met on Monday, March 5, via telephone conference to discuss work and progress on the project. The team decided to divide up elements of the project into different research components in order to more effectively explore different ways of identifying the "experience" of ALA Annual Conference attendees. Among the topics discussed were conducting surveys and focus groups with conference attendees, recruiting conference attendees to "journal" or (video) blog the conference and contacting the ALA Research and Statistics Office for data on ALA members and conference attendees.

Team assignments were divvied up as follows:

Nora (with an assist from Keri) - Develop a plan for implementing a survey of attendees to ALA's Annual Conference. Create a sample survey.

LeRoy - Develop a plan for implementing a focus group during ALA's Annual Conference. Create sample focus group questions.

Bonnie - Investigate the idea of having people either keep a journal, blog or video blog their experiences at ALA's Annual Conference. Determine which method(s) would be most realistic to implement and for attendees to perform and which method(s) would produce the best information.

Meeting on April 6

We heard reports about the research everyone had done in their "data collection" area. It was decided to propose each collection method and give pros and cons for the use of each method and to create a bibliography or our research. Methods were divided as follows:

Nora - surveys

LeRoy - focus groups

Bonnie - photo stories

Keri - blogs and vlogs

Rebecca - journals

The next project team meeting will be held April 26th at 10am EST via conference call.
NOTE NEW TIME: MAY 8TH AT 2 PM EST

Project Proposal

Introduction

We investigated various ways to track the user experience at ALA Annual by members and non-members of an ALA division or roundtable. We recommend a combination of surveys, focus groups and journaling options.

Possible Incentives

The device used in the assessment - camera, video camera, voice recorders, journal

Focus Groups

Focus groups are valuable tools for gathering the thoughts and opinions of individuals that also complement the work of surveys by collecting data and feedback on products, and services. The social and verbal atmosphere of the focus group allows participants to voice their concerns and experiences in a way that may be codified by the focus group moderators. Best practices warrant that multiple focus groups be conducted in order to insure accuracy and account for any discrepancies that may arise during any one particular focus group session.

For purposes of Project VÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs work, multiple focus groups should be conducted at the ALA Annual Conference in order to insure that a variety of perspectives and experiences are identified. One possibility might be to conduct a series of focus groups early on at the conference, midway through and at the end of the conference.

A call for participation in the focus groups should be made with adequate planning time before the conference and each session should include no more than 10 attendees.

Systematic procedures and questions should be developed for governing the progress of each focus group session. Notes should taken during the sessions for later review and analysis

Advantages

Complements the work of surveys and other methods

Moderators can probe for additional information at the time

Participants are generally eager to participate and appreciate the experience

Disadvantages

Need a space or room at the conference

May require trained or experienced moderators

Many need incentive for participants

May need experienced note-takers or audio recording equipment

Surveys

Surveys can be used as a fairly simple method for collecting feedback from a large group of people. Since all potential participants receive the same set of questions the information obtained from surveys can be analyzed in a standardized way, thus ensuring the integrity of the data. On their own or used in conjunction with the other methods mentioned in this report, a survey with well-crafted questions can provide conference planners with a wealth of information regarding the experience attendees had while at conference.

Information regarding the target group for the survey can be obtained from ALA's Office of Research and Statistics and/or from information gathered through conference registrations. The survey would be administered via email after the conference took place. Potential respondents would be sent a link via email to a Web-based survey and asked to complete the survey by a specific date.

Advantages

Cost effective. Because the survey is Web-based, few resources are needed (aside from staff time) to distribute surveys and collect responses.

Easy analysis. Because the survey is electronic, responses can be channeled through an analysis tool to quickly and simply compile responses to questions.

Limited responses. Surveys allow the surveyors to ask specific questions with specific answers. Responses are less likely to be misinterpreted.

Disadvantages

Easily ignored. Potential respondents might review an email message requesting their participation in a Web-based survey, and then not follow through on the request.

Limited responses. Surveys can limit the quality and substance of responses.

Misinterpretation. Web-based surveys do not allow for interaction between the surveyor and respondent. The respondent is not afforded the opportunity to clarify questions that are unclear.

Journaling

Asking participants to journal during a conference is a good way to capture their experiences, feelings and thoughts. Multiple participants can be involved while freeing the researchers from following participants. A list of questions to guide journal writing is suggested.

At the beginning of the conference, a group meeting is required, at which researchers will explain the goals of the research and obtain study participation permission from everyone. The researchers will present the various types of journaling (pen and paper, blog, vblog) and review the question guide and what makes for a good journal.

At the end of the conference, another group meeting is recommended. Researchers will collect journals and debrief the participants.

Paper & Pen

Participants will be asked to record their experience of the conference in a paper journal. Nicely bound blank journals will be provided to the participants, along with a list of prompting questions. The participants will be allowed to keep the journals after they have been photocopied by the researchers, as a written record of their experience. They will be encouraged to take their journals home and share them with colleagues.

Advantages

Easily carried, no need to access a computer or Internet

Sketches and other drawings can be captured

Ephemera such as handouts, receipts, etc, can be easily inserted

Disadvantages

Participants may forget to bring journal or forget to write in them

Participants may not write "good" journals; ie, only listing what they attended

Handwriting may be difficult to read

Weblogs (Blogs)

Participants will be asked to track their experience by using a blog. A blog will be created for each participant, or they can share one blog to encourage collaboration on the project. Input before, during, and after ALA Annual will give the researchers a clearer picture of what the participant expected from the conference and what they gained from attending. Participants must supply their own access to a computer and an Internet connection. Guidelines will be given as to how many posts are expected.

Advantages

Posted in real time so feelings can be tracked throughout conference

Posts can be any length

Contributors can collaborate on one blog for the event

Allows for contributor to create tags to organize their feelings about different events

Can include photographs from events

Allows for feedback from others in comments so others can get involved with the project as a conversation

Gives the project transparency, since anyone can read the entries

Gives the contributor a chance to make a recognizable name within the organization

ALA has technology to run blogs

RSS feeds to track entries

Disadvantages

Contributors must have access to a computer and Internet connection

Contributors must feel comfortable having their postings on the open Web

Compiling and reviewing all posts from all contributors and any comments made will be time-consuming

Video Weblogs (Vlogs)

Participants will be asked to track their experience by using a vlog. This vlog can stand alone or be incorporated into the blog project as a single blog. Input before, during, and after ALA Annual will give the researchers a clearer picture of what the participant expected from the conference and what they gained from attending. Since the technology needed for vlogging includes a video camera and editing software, it would be easier to find participants who already vlog on their own.

Advantages

First-person view of all aspects of conference

Can be integrated into a text blog, so contributor can have the choice to blog or vlog

Audio and visual components make it more engaging for viewers

Allows for contributor to create tags to organize their feelings about different events

Allows for feedback from others in comments

Gives the project transparency, since anyone can view the entries

Gives the contributor a chance to make a recognizable name within the organization

RSS feeds to track entries

Disadvantages

Cost of video cameras and editing software

Requires a video host

Contributors must have some knowledge of vlogging, or a tech assistant would be needed

Time to edit videos before posting to the Web

Photo Voice

Photovoice has three main goals: to enable people to record and reflect their community's strengths and concerns; to promote critical dialogue and knowledge about personal and community issues through large and small group discussions of photographs; and to reach people who make the decisions on changes.
Photovoice is highly flexible and can be adapted to specific participatory goals (such as needs assessment, asset mapping, and evaluation), and ifferent groups and communities.

Advantages

First-person view of the conference experience

Rich amount of information ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ both visual and through focus groups

Audio and visual components make it more engaging for viewers

Gives the contributor a chance to make a recognizable name within the organization

Gives the contributor a chance to make an impact on a national organization

Methodology

conceptualizing the problem ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ what we want to determine

conducting photovoice training

devising the initial theme/s for taking pictures

taking pictures

facilitating group discussion

reflection and dialogue: (explained in more detail below)

selecting photographs for discussion

contextualizing and storytelling

codifying issues, themes, and theories

documenting the stories

conducting the formative evaluation

Reflection & Dialogue - Community people using photovoice engage in a three-stage process that provides the foundation for analyzing the pictures they have taken:

Selecting ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ choosing those photographs that most accurately reflect the community's experiences

The participatory approach dictates this first stage. So that people can lead the discussion, it is they who choose the photographs. They select photographs they considered most significant, or simply like best, from what they had taken.

Contextualizing ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ telling stories about what the photographs mean

The participatory approach also generates the second stage, contextualizing or storytelling. This occurs in the process of group discussion, suggested by the acronym VOICE, voicing our individual and collective experience. Photographs alone, considered outside the context of their own voices and stories, would contradict the essence of photovoice. People describe the meaning of their images in small and large group discussions.

Codifying ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ identifying the issues, themes, or theories that emerge

The participatory approach gives multiple meanings to singular images and thus frames the third stage, codifying. In this stage, participants may identify three types of dimensions that arise from the dialogue process: issues, themes, or theories.
They may codify issues when the concerns targeted for action are pragmatic, immediate, and tangible. This is the most direct application of the analysis. They may also codify themes and patterns, or develop theories that are grounded in data that have been systematically gathered and analyzed in collective discussion.